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Water Resources Class Gets a Behind the Scenes Look at Rapidan Dam

The GEG-243 class enjoyed a beautiful day out on the Blue Earth River and learned about issues in river management. The Rapidan Dam is 99 years old, has 70 feet of vertical drop, and an average flow of 840 cubic feet per second. While it continues to generate enough electricity for 2,000 to 3,000 homes, it has ongoing maintenance issues. Further, the reservoir is nearly filled with sediment. The class observed the turbines, walked through the tunnel under the dam, and watched fish try to climb the spillway.